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‘Inception’ aims to curb your imagination

We’re one week away from the much-anticipated theatrical release of Inception, an action-packed science fiction thriller that’s already earning affection and praise from top film critics. Inception is the best movie of 2010, according to several critics who appreciate the originality and suspense within the story.

Inception is directed, written, and produced by Christopher Nolan, who normally writes his own screenplays. The English filmmaker earned an Oscar nomination for his original screenplay, Memento, which he shared with his brother, Jonathan. The duo also teamed up to revitalize the Batman franchise in 2005, and it appears Warner Bros. is pleased with the outcome to this point.

Chris Nolan dazzled audiences two years ago with The Dark Knight, a remarkable crime epic that grossed $1 billion worldwide and won two Academy Awards, including a best supporting actor victory for the late Heath Ledger. Nolan’s return in 2010 should generate similar success. Inception features a star-studded cast of Oscar-nominated actors working with a monstrous budget and an imaginative filmmaker.

Nolan has yet to fall flat on his face. The director aced Insomnia, The Prestige, Following, Memento, and both Batman movies. According to recent buzz, Inception is an incredibly multi-faceted story complimented with stunning visuals. Justin Chang of Variety recently reviewed the film:

If movies are shared dreams, then Christopher Nolan is surely one of Hollywood’s most inventive dreamers, given the evidence of his commandingly clever Inception. Applying a vivid sense of procedural detail to a fiendishly intricate yarn set in the labyrinth of the subconscious, the writer-director has devised a heist thriller for surrealists, a Jungian’s “Rififi,” that challenges viewers to sift through multiple layers of (un)reality.

As such, it’s a conceptual tour de force unlikely to rank with Batman at the B.O., though post-”Dark Knight” anticipation and Leonardo DiCaprio should still position it as one of the summer’s hottest, classiest tickets.

Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter provided his own review, calling Inception the “most original movie idea in ages.” The picture stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine and Tom Berenger. And yes, it is the same Tom Berenger you haven’t seen since Platoon and Major League.

I’m scheduled to attend an opening day screening of Inception when it premieres July 16. Nolan is my favorite director, so I’m personally invested in this film. A detailed review will be posted shortly after the screening. I’m not alone when I express absolute excitement for this summer blockbuster. Everyone is going bananas.

Hollywood is struggling. The industry needs an original story free of dumbed down plots and franchise restrictions. Audiences are exhausted from endless sequels and adapted screenplays. If I didn’t know better, the marquee at the local theater would scare me into believing we’re back in the 1980s again. Enough is enough.

Inception will remind moviegoers of why they loved films in the first place. I don’t want to give away the plot, but in short, Nolan presents a heist picture involving dreams and an ambitious crew attempting to kidnap highly-valuable thoughts. Imagine a blend of Blade Runner, The Matrix, The Sting, and any James Bond flick. It’s a movie you can’t refuse, unless you’re not a big fan of something truly amazing.

Movies should work as canvasses, not tracing paper. Inception is bound to deliver the goods.